Post by patrickm on Apr 27, 2011 13:10:08 GMT -6
As Centaur has pointed out, current mornings are a fantastic time to catch fleet-footed Mercury. At the same time, a parade of planets have lined up near the waxing crescent Moon and the predawn rising Sun!
In one short session, you can catch:
(listed from zenith to horizon)
*Neptune +7.9 My third favorite planet just because it is SO freaking beautiful. It is near the zenith at that point, and thus isn't on my screen grab below.
*The quickly waning 20% crescent Moon at -7.3
*The blue-green disc of the gas giant Uranus at +5.9.
*Highly luminous Venus, brightly shining at -3.9! and 88% illuminated.
*Elusive, ascendant Mercury glowing brightly at +1.1.
*Red planet Mars is lower, shining at +1.2.
*King Jupiter will be very low, but very bright, at -2.1!
As a bonus, in Chicago, watch for the morning of May 11 when Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury will all be within 2.5 degrees of each other in the predawn, Eastern sky.
Again on May 21, Venus, Mars, and Mercury will be within 2' of each other before dawn!
As always, photos and observations are welcomed and encouraged!
In one short session, you can catch:
(listed from zenith to horizon)
*Neptune +7.9 My third favorite planet just because it is SO freaking beautiful. It is near the zenith at that point, and thus isn't on my screen grab below.
*The quickly waning 20% crescent Moon at -7.3
*The blue-green disc of the gas giant Uranus at +5.9.
*Highly luminous Venus, brightly shining at -3.9! and 88% illuminated.
*Elusive, ascendant Mercury glowing brightly at +1.1.
*Red planet Mars is lower, shining at +1.2.
*King Jupiter will be very low, but very bright, at -2.1!
As a bonus, in Chicago, watch for the morning of May 11 when Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury will all be within 2.5 degrees of each other in the predawn, Eastern sky.
Again on May 21, Venus, Mars, and Mercury will be within 2' of each other before dawn!
As always, photos and observations are welcomed and encouraged!
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